Commentary: Confirm Chuck Hagel for defense secretary

By DAN K. THOMASSONColumnist Published: January 23, 2013 4:00 AM

The folks who gave you the long agony of Iraq now are leading the charge to derail the man who warned that it was a mistake, an opinion with which millions of Americans would now agree.

Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel's nomination as secretary of defense to replace Leon Panetta is being opposed by the neoconservatives of the Bush administration, who apparently regard him as too timid when it comes to sending men and women into combat. That has more than a tinge of irony, seeing that they never have been there and he has.

What really upsets them is that as a Republican and twice-wounded veteran of Vietnam, Hagel felt some responsibility for outspokenness when it comes to this nation's Israeli obligations and their influence on the decision to remove Saddam Hussein. Their resentment clearly lingers despite the fact that Hagel ultimately voted for the Iraq resolution and has said he fully supports Israel.

Particularly galling for neocons may be that Hagel's nomination once again points to the fact that he was right to be cautious -- that their entire justification for the Iraq invasion was wrong. It was based on the faulty premise that Saddam was in possession of weapons of mass destruction, including emerging nuclear capability, and therefore was a major threat to our national security. Underpinning this theory was bad intelligence, bad political philosophy and just plain wrongheadedness about Saddam's connections to al-Qaida. They didn't exist.

Saddam was mainly a threat to his own people. He kept his Middle East enemies, mainly Iran, at bay with the WMD myth and by acting tough. As for al-Qaida, there was ample evidence to the contrary that he would tolerate the terrorist group he knew he couldn't control.

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The "fight was right" crowd seems once again to ignore the debilitating impact that the drawn-out Iraq invasion had on this nation's economy, morale and, most of all, its military. Thousands were killed; thousands of others were maimed or suffered psychological damage from having to endure multiple tours under severe stress. Fighting a war on a credit card has helped lead the country into its continuing fiscal dilemma.

The entire affair was pretty bad karma and we're going to be paying for it for a long time. War, as W.T. Sherman correctly described it, is hell. It should be a last resort for settling differences. Until recently, that was the attitude of a nation whose entire military strength was built as a means to deter it. The guiding principle was Teddy Roosevelt's big stick and soft-voice approach.

If that approach still is valid, why then should we not have a defense secretary who likes to ask questions first before making recommendations to the commander-in-chief? This nation always has been willing to intervene when clearly necessary, but to do so precipitously is more and more difficult, given both nuclear proliferation and our own military limitations including budgetary strain.

There is nothing revealed in Hagel's record so far to sustain the attacks on him. He has been a warrior, a public servant and a good businessman. Has he at times been outspoken, a Republican who obviously thinks for himself, and isn't afraid to diverge from party lines? Certainly he has. But that makes him all the more attractive.

The constitutional power given the Senate for advice and consent always should be exercised gingerly, especially when it comes to the president's Cabinet, under the theory that the president has the right to have the people he wants for these important posts. Only nominees with dubious histories or who are clearly unfit morally and psychologically should be rejected. Differences in philosophy based on different experiences, like service in a war zone, don't pose valid obstacles to confirmation.

Dan K. Thomasson can be reached by email at thomassondan@aol.com.

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anonymous Jan 24, 2013 2:08 PM

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Yes, Harley, I should know better. Sometimes I just can't stop myself! Especially since bam is often one of the first to jump on someone else's mistakes, when he can't think of anything else hateful to say. I'm prepared to take the onslaught!

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anonymous Jan 24, 2013 1:33 PM

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Oh, no, marc, that last sentence opened a can of worms. Watch out. Last time I got into one of those grammar discussions here, I got raked over the coals and got called harley wee wee by someone who writes entire comments in one long sentence. You will be called insensitive and demeaning and anything else people can think of by people who spend time demeaning anyone who disagrees with them on here.

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anonymous Jan 24, 2013 12:36 PM

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I just find it interesting, bam, that when Buzz (I think) mentioned YOUR "tin foil hat" a while back, you obviously didn't understand the term. Then lo and behold, you began using it against others...still not understanding its meaning! But I am not surprised... It is one of many things you don't quite seem to quite "get". For example, your comment on another thread this morning about climate change? Just because we are having a cold spell, you think that proves that we have no worries about climate change!?! Yet, your continual rants and opinions on virtually every letter posted certainly make for some entertaining reads. I'm not sure what you mean that I am not old enough to bother with. The term started with science fiction writer Julian Huxley who wrote a story called The Tissue Culture King (1927) where the protagonist discovers that metal foil hats foil the effects of telepathy. Since then the tin foil hat has become a metaphor for people suffering paranoia or those obsessed with conspiracy theories, specifically relating to government.Now who does that sound like? (And just for the record...your is a possessive pronoun and should not have an apostrophe when you add the "s"!)

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anonymous Jan 23, 2013 3:44 PM

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But maybe if you tune your's in you will learn something new,but I doubt it.

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anonymous Jan 23, 2013 3:43 PM

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Then you aren't old enough to bother with marc.So I won't.

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anonymous Jan 23, 2013 12:13 PM

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I see you haven't looked up the metaphor "tin foil hat" yet, bam. If you take yours off, you might have better luck understanding it.

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anonymous Jan 23, 2013 6:29 AM

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Yup,and he has the same disdain for Israel.He has the same mindset about the military as Obama.He will do the worst job possible for this country.Perfect fit for this regime.And when Iran starts sending in the nukes you loons better duck quick.Maybe you could hide under your desk with a tin foil hat and hope for the best.

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anonymous Jan 23, 2013 6:03 AM

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Hagel served as a "grunt" in Vietnam and understands war from We the People's side of things and this doesn't please the GOP's corporate masters. Hagel is a US Senator not an Isreali Senator and this makes him an anti-semite to the extreme right.

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